Featured Reviews

Mission Estate is well-known for its accessible ‘Estate’
range made from fruit from their Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough vineyard
sources. Winemaker Paul Mooney, with the
company for over 30 years is one of the country’s most experienced and respected
winemakers, and he takes considerable care in getting the ‘Estate’ wines up to
his high standards. Here, I review a
selection of ‘Estate’ wines, a 2017 Pinot Gris, 2016 Pinot Noir and Merlot, and
2015 Merlot/Cabernet. And just to top
this review article off, the premium 2015 ‘Barrique Reserve Cabernet/Merlot. www.miossionestate.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Mission Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017

Pinot Gris from New Zealand – Marlborough

17/20

Bright straw-yellow colour with slight lemon-gold hues, lighter
on the rim. The nose is fresh and voluminous
with rich aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits and exotic yellow florals with
honied elements. A little mineral nuance
unfolds, lending detail. Dryish to taste
and medium-full bodied, the palate has restrained flavours of yellow
stonefruits and subtle notes of exotic florals and honied nuances. The fruit is refreshing with bright acidity
enlivening the palate, and the wine flows along a taut, light-textured line
leading to a honied finish. This is a
voluminous and aromatic dryish Pinot Gris with exotic stonefruit and floral
flavours with honeysuckle notes on a fresh, but restrained palate. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over
the next 2-3 years. Fruit from the
company’s Blind River vineyard cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 13.1% alc.
and 9 g/L RS. 17.0/20 Dec 2017
RRP $16.00

Mission Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Marlborough

17-/20

Moderately deep ruby-red colour, lighter on the rim. The nose is elegantly concentrated with
aromas of savoury dark-red cherry and berry fruit with some fresh and dried
herb notes, a little game and undergrowth detail intermixed with fragrant red
florals. Medium-full bodied, the palate
has light and balanced, lively flavours of dark-red cherry and berry fruit with
soft notes of dark and dried herbs. The
palate is fruit-focussed, unfolding a layer of savoury undergrowth
elements. The flavours are up-front and
supported by light, supple tannins enabling accessibility with fresh, lacy
acidity. The wine carries to a light,
lingering finish of red fruits and herbs.
This is an elegant, up-front, fruit-focussed Pinot Noir with savoury
dark-red cherry and berry fruit, and fresh herbal notes on a supple palate. Match with antipasto, poultry and pork dishes
over the next 3+ years, Fruit from the ‘Cable
Station Road’ block in the company’s Awatere Valley vineyard fermented to 13.8%
alc., the wine spending 14 days on skins post ferment and bottled without oak
contact. 17.0-/20 Dec 2017
RRP $16.00

Mission Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2016

Merlot from New Zealand – Hawke’s Bay

16.5+/20

Dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red colour, a little lighter on
the rim, and youthful in appearance. The
nose is firmly packed with an elegant core of dark-red berry fruit with notes
of redcurrants, fresh herbs and subtle cassis elements. The aromatics show depth. Medium-full bodied, the palate has a firm
heart of sweet fruit flavours of dark-red berry fruit, redcurrants and dark
herbs. The fruit is underlined by light,
grainy tannin textures with integrated acidity.
The fruit forms a concentrated core and line that carries to a fine,
lingering finish. This is a firmly
packed, elegant Merlot with dark-red berry fruit, with redcurrant and herb
notes on a fine-textured palate. Match
with barbecued and grilled red meat dishes over the next 3-4 years. 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon from
sites in Ohiti Road, the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Gimblett Gravels, fermented
to 13.6% alc., the wine spending 7-20 days on skins post ferment and aged in
tank. 16.5+/20 Dec 2017
RRP $16.00

Mission Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Blended Red from New Zealand – Hawke’s Bay

17.5-/20

Moderately dark, deep ruby-red colour with black hues, lighter
on the rim. This has a softly full
bouquet of ripe, dark red and black plum fruit forming a firm core, revealing a
heart of blackberries, blackcurrants, iron-earth minerals and some aromatic
oak. Medium-full bodied, the palate has
sweet flavours of savoury dark plums harmoniously entwined with blackcurrant
and blackberry fruity, with notes of dark herbs, iron-earth minerals and sweet,
nutty oak. The fruit sweetness is enlivened
by fresh, lacy acidity, and the wine flows along a soft-textured line, leading
to a sustained finish of blackberries, redcurrants and plums. This is an elegant Merlo/Cabernet blend with
harmoniously interwoven flavours of blackberries, blackcurrants and dark plums,
and subtle notes of herbs and nutty oak on a fresh, but soft-textured palate. Serve with roasted lamb, beef and venison
over the next 3-4+ years. A blend of 53%
Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Malbec, from vineyards, primarily on
Ohiti Road and some from the Gimblett Gravels, fermented to 13.5% alc., the
wine aged in tank. 17.5-/20 Dec 2017
RRP $16.00

Dark, deep, near impenetrable black-hued ruby-red colour
with slight purple hues, lighter edged. The
nose is full with rich and deeply packed aromas of ripe blackberries and
blackcurrants with dark herb and iron-earth complexities. This has freshness and aromatic
brightness. Medium-full bodied, the
palate has rich and lusciously sweet flavours of blackberries and blackcurrants
with ripe black plum fruit. The palate
is stylish and restrained, but possesses real depth, intensity and
concentration. The fruit is lively and
vibrant, and harmoniously melded with spicy oak notes, along with dark herbs
and minerals. The flavours are
underlined by fine-grained tannin extraction providing considerable powdery textures
and grip. The structure carries the
sweet and luscious fruit to an elegant, long-lingering and nuanced finish. This is a rich and lusciously sweet-fruited
Cabernet/Merlot with blackberry, blackcurrant and dark plum fruit with herb,
mineral and nutty elements on a fine-grained, well-structured palate. Match with roasted lamb, beef and venison,
and semi-hard cheeses over the next 10+ years.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot from the Gimblett
Gravels, the latter from the company’s Mere Road vineyard, fermented to 13.8%
alc., the wine on skins 14 days post ferment, and aged 12 months in 44% new
French oak barriques. 19.0-/20 Dec 2017
RRP $29.00

Full, very dark, near impenetrable black-hued red colour
with purple hues on the rim. This has a
very tight, elegant and refined, but intensely penetrating nose of ripe
blackcurrant fruit and cassis liqueur, along with dark herbs, piquant mint and
leaf notes. This is classical Cabernet
Sauvignon in expression. Medium-full
bodied, the palate has great concentration and intensity, with deeply
penetrating flavours of ripe blackcurrants and cassis, entwined with subtle
herb and delicate leaf notes. The
mouthfeel is fresh, bright, vibrant and full of energy, with fine-grained
tannin extraction providing plenty of grip and structure. The wine carries to a long, lively and
refreshing finish. This is a
concentrated intense and penetrating Cabernet/Merlot blend with pure
blackcurrant and cassis fruit with classical herb elements, and a palate with
plenty of extraction and grip. This will
keep 10-12+ years. A blend of 67%
Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot fermented to 13.8% alc., the wine aged 18
months in 27% new French oak. 19.0-/20 Sep 2017
RRP $29.00